Tender is the Night
by kdramamama
Summary: This story is loosely based on the main protagonists in "Heartless City" a Korean drama that aired in 2013. I was greatly inspired by another fan fiction author named Lyse who published her work here under the title 'Endless Night.' The story picks up from her last chapter of 'Endless Night'. I recommend that you read Lyse's work first to get an idea of the background and plot.


**Heartless City- fanfic;**

 **Rated MA**

 **Author's Note:**

 **This story is loosely based on the main protagonists in 'Heartless City', a Korean drama that was aired in 2013. I was greatly inspired by another fan fiction author named Lyse who published her work here under the title 'Endless Night.' This story picks up from her last chapter of 'Endless Night'. I recommend that you read Lyse's work first to get an idea of the background and plot. I've taken some creative liberties and apologise for the sappiness of this plot in advance. Oh and be prepared for a lot of steaminess ahead...**

 **In this story, the heroine, Yoo Soo Min has agreed to go on a mission to unearth information about the distribution and supply of a new designer drug plaguing the city and is working undercover as an escort in an exclusive club called 'Vanity'. She means to deliver the information to 'Paksa Adeul', a dangerous man from her past.**

Soo Min adjusted the lacy black garters and peered at her reflection under the dim lights. The expensive black silk and lace lingerie set gracing her slender frame came courtesy of The Madame who only purchased the most exclusive of undergarments for the Lilies. It will have to do, she thought dismissively, missing the way the way the black lace sensuously framed the pale curves of her breasts and made her legs look endless. She had lost too much weight lately from stress and sleepless nights. Tension tightening her belly, she zipped herself into the close fitting red silk cheongsam, willing herself not to think about her impending task that evening and how far she was would have go to accomplish it. The brief image of the Hye-Soo's pleading face danced behind her closed lids and Soo-Min strengthened her resolve even as she fought the nausea churning in her belly.

Madame entered her room with a peremptory knock.."Our guest has arrived. See that he is entertained well. You'd better not fail this time, girl." Madame intoned coldly as she led Soo Min to another room within the inner sanctum of the club, lavishly furnished in the manner of a French boudoir. Soo Min's gaze sought the gaze of the room's sole occupant; Min-Jin "This must be the real test" she thought. She sauntered up to the bar with catlike grace and poured two fingers of bourbon for her 'trainer'.

"So, have you banished him from your mind yet ?" asked Min-Jin, picking up the threads of their last conversation. "I don't know who you mean." Soo Min prevaricated. Handing him the drink, she smiled seductively and smokily whispered "You are the only man on my mind now, sugar."

Min-Jin levelled a penetrating look in her direction. "Don't lay it on too thickly. A man knows when he is being duped" Crooking a finger, Min-Jin beckoned. She went, swallowing the ball of fear threatening to choke her as she stood in front of him. Warm fingers traced the delicate curve of her jaw and made a slow trajectory down her neck to her collarbone. It had been too long since a man had touched her like this. Ghosts of the past lingered and she remembered another time and another man in another room. She had had no other lovers since Jung Shi Hyun, hating herself for holding on to him for so long. Others in her situation, would have sought the panacea of mindless sex and anonymous bodies in the dark. For Soo Min the realisation that it was all too easy for Paksa to discard her from his life had left her irrevocably scarred and gun-shy. And too damaged for any other man to fix. Thus it was far simpler to remain solitary and alone than trust her heart again.

"Wait…" she said biting her lip as Min-Jin drew her zipper slowly down.

"It's too late for second thoughts now " he uttered sardonically as the red cheongsam slithered to the floor leaving her clad only in sensuous black silk and stilettos. Min-Jin stepped back a few paces in order to trace his eyes appreciatively over her figure and at his low whistle, Soo-Min guessed that she had passed his inspection.

From a walled panel concealing a one way mirror, the man known as Paksa Adeul impassively watched the scene being played out in the French budoir. He appeared calm and only Kim Hyun Soo, his trusted lieutenant, noticed the tightening of his jaw and the betraying clench of his fists in the darkened room. Tamping down ruthlessly on his roiling emotions, Paksa turned to Madame. "I want only her .." The usually unflappable Madame looked slightly discomfited .."As you can see, she is already engaged with a patron. I can hardly interrupt and we have plenty of other girls…more beautiful and talented."

"Her…Now." Turning his remorseless gaze on Madame. "Soo, pay the good Madame what she wants. She can name her price." Madame swallowed nervously, wondering whether the hushed whispers about this man were true. In any event, she did not want to find out.

Soo Min sighed with relief as she was led out of the darkened budouir. She had been granted a temporary reprieve from her 'test'. Madame had interrupted her interlude with Min-Jin, crisply informing her.…"your next patron wants you exclusively …" Her words, designed to create unease in the young girl, had its intended effect. Soo-Min's relief turned to fresh anxiety as she wondered at the identity of her next patron. "You can do this Soo-Min. For Hye-Soo" she silently repeated the litany in her head hoping to draw strength from it. "Don't keep him waiting." Madame interjected impatiently, "He is in the black limousine parked outside the lobby."

Soo Min stepped into the plush leather confines of the limo, her words of greeting freezing in her throat as her eyes locked on Paksa's. "What are you doing?" she hissed. She tried to scramble out of the vehicle but Paksa's hand closed around her wrist like a manacle, preventing her from exiting. "Let me go" she said a trifle breathlessly. "You have just ruined my operation."

"Sit down" he gritted. Soo Min heard the locks of the limo doors snick shut and the partition between the driver and passenger section come down. Locking her in. With the last man she wanted to see. It had started to rain heavily as the limo pulled away from the curb and headed away from downtown Tokyo. She stared sightlessly out of the windows, anywhere but at him, trying to control her growing panic.

"Our arrangement is over." he reached for an envelope from his breast pocket which he thrust at her "Here…airplane tickets back to Seoul. I have deposited some funds into your account. Enough to get you started again and maybe buy a small place, somewhere in the country. I want you far away from here as possible "

"Why are you doing this? Is it some misplaced sense of obligation to Gyung-Mi unni? I've told you, I can handle this. I don't need you to protect me."

Something dark and dangerous flashed in his eyes.. "Really? Do you know what happens to Lilies?" You could have handled rape? Possible torture?" Soo Min shuddered, his words bringing back memories of her kidnapping. "You don't know what you are getting into, little girl"

"I was close to getting information from Min-Jin." she lied blatantly. Goaded beyond endurance, she let her voice turn husky, seductive."After all I'm not without certain….skills" She let the words drop in the loaded silence, sneaking a look at Paksa's harsh profile from beneath her lashes. A muscle jumped uncontrollably his jaw and his eyes, usually a fathomless black, glittered wildly. He no longer looked impassive. He looked like a man barely holding violence in check. A wild thrill shivered down her spine. This was a side of Paksa Adeul she had never seen before. On that night, five years ago he had been passionate but achingly tender. There was no trace of that man now as he pulled her onto his lap, silencing her startled gasp with a ruthless kiss. It was kiss of domination, of control as he bruised her soft lips and invaded her mouth with his tongue. Soo Min struggled wildly, arms braced against his chest, trying to break free of his steely grip. He gripped her jaw, angling her head to get better access, kissing her deeply, swallowing her broken whimpers of fear. Then, the quality of the kiss changed, the undeniable attraction between them burning fiercely as it did before, turning her bones to melted honey and pooling desire warmly in her belly. Her hands crept around his neck and delved into his thick hair. Her dress rucked around her thighs as he pulled her firmly onto the cradle of his pelvis, pressing the unmistakeable evidence of his arousal against her tender centre. No longer brutal, his lips tenderly traced a path from the shell of her ear to her jawline while his hands deftly dealt with her zipper. Her cheongsam slithered down, baring her to the waist, revealing the pale curves of upthrust breasts encased in black silk. A harsh groan escaped him as he cupped them reverently, trailing wet open mouthed kisses along the edges of her bra. "You are driving me crazy.." the word seemed to be torn from him as he made short work of the bra. He drew one pouting pink crest into his mouth, his fingers kneading the full pale globes expertly. Soo Min whimpered at the fierce suction of his mouth on her aroused nipple and the pressure of his kneading fingers. The stimulation caused electricity to arc from her breasts, down her spine to her moist aching centre. Hard fingers then gripped her panties and with a violent wrench they were ripped away, the sound shocking in quiet confines of the limousine. Fingers parted her aching wetness and burrowed deep within, preparing her for his hardness. She was more than ready, slippery with lubrication. Too much. Too fast. Too soon.

Somewhere in the dim recesses of Soo Min's mind, sanity intruded, giving her pause. The path down this road would lead to more heartbreak that she doubted she could survive a second time. Drawing deep, sobbing breaths, she pushed at his unyielding shoulders and said. 'Stop, please..' Paksa froze, sensing the abrupt change in her and tried to regain his unravelling control. Resting his forehead on top Soo Min's tousled curls he closed his eyes, willing himself to think of something that would douse the flames. He had never lost control like this before. The girl had crept under his skin like an itch he couldn't scratch. Thrusting her away, he said hoarsely. 'Cover yourself.." Soo Min adjusted her clothing with trembling fingers. Cursing her weakness, she fought for some semblance of composure.. "I'm not going back to Seoul. I'm going to finish this, with or without your help. I owe it to ..…a friend"

A knock and a discreet cough was all the warning they had before the partition slid up. Kim Hyun Soo noted Paksa's slightly mussed hair and Soo Min's flushed cheeks with interest. "I've got a lead on Min-Jin. He is the son of a mid level mob boss with connections to Seoul. He seems to have taken quite a shine to you." he quipped at Soo Min.

Paksa suppressed a wayward flare of jealousy at Kim Hyun Soo's remark. The erotic tableau of a what he had almost interrupted in that French budoir etched behind his lids. He was unwilling to analyze why the thought of her with another would cause him to react that way.

"Find out all you can about him." In control once again, he said. "Take her and keep her under surveillance 24/7, see to it that she never steps foot in Vanity again."

Soo Min silently seethed with anger. She had lost control of the situation with the speed of a runaway train. She had one last card to play, one last gambit to pull. Reaching into her clutch, she pulled out a tiny wireless device, spyware designed to discreetly and remotely download the contents of a mobile phone. She had activated it while she had been with Min-Jin at Vanity "You won't be needing this then.. the contacts list in Min-Jin's phone." Soo tried to lunge for the device but Soo Min held it out of his reach. Inserting steel in her voice, any show of weakness would not do now, she icily said 'I'll give it to you, if you let me work unhindered at Vanity' The last she addressed to Paksa Adeul. "A deal is a deal. This was supposed to be an exchange of information and I've held up my end of the bargain. You won't get any more leads without me.."

Paksa closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples. He had to acknowledge however grudgingly that Soo Min had a valid point. "Okay, you can go back to the club but we will be watching your every move. Any sign of trouble and you are done. You have a deadline of one week, then you will be on that plane to Seoul."

Soo Min could only nod in assent. She knew better than to argue when he had made this concession. The limo pulled up to her apartment block and she got out without a backward glance.

Soo Min walked up the stage and took her place at the grand piano. The bar at Vanity was only half full tonight and every eye seemed to be on her. She coaxed the ivory expertly and her haunting voice filled the air as she launched into a rendition of "I Can't Make You Love Me". Every note beautifully executed as she let emotion sweep her away into song about the anguish of unrequited love. The audience sat enthralled as the music swelled into a crescendo, knowing that they were in the presence of a unique talent. Without a trace of pride, Soo Min acknowledged that she was in rare form tonight. Music simply had been necessary and cathartic when she had been dealing with the loss of Jung Shi-Hyun five years ago. Her singing, which had begun as a hobby, had been honed expertly through much practice into near perfection. This had become her nightly routine at Vanity since her last encounter with Paksa. Madame had, on his instructions, exempted Soo-Min from entertaining clients in the usual time honoured fashion.

Paksa sat at the bar nursing his whisky as every poignant note of the song, full of regret and longing, pierced his soul. It was hard to remain unaffected when he knew every word she was singing, was about them. Unwelcome memories of her sweet concern for him five year ago filled his head; Soo Min, gently touching his face and asking him whether he was in pain. To a man long deprived of any semblance of love and affection, (outside his crime family) her concern had been like water to a parched man in a desert. When he had walked away from her, he had done so without any trace of regret, convinced that he was doing the right thing. For her. Never really stopping to think about how it would affect her.

Yet again he hardened his resolve not to let her undermine his self control. That day in the limousine, the passion between them had raged like wildfire and he had betrayed too much weakness already. The girl certainly complicated matters but she couldn't be allowed to change his original agenda. Settling his features into his usual inscrutable mask, he waited until she finished her set and worked her way around the bar.

Some of the regulars at Vanity stopped Soo Min as she walked to the bar, showering her with compliments on her singing. She laughingly bantered with some of them before taking the vacant seat next to Paksa at the bar. Shin was on duty that night and she requested a Cosmopolitan. She did not have much head for alcohol but it helped her sleep at night and get over the worst of her nightmares.

"I must say, I miss you behind the bar but you were born to be in front of the piano." Shin smiled as he handed her the drink. "You will be playing to a packed house soon if the word spreads" Soo Min shrugged nonchalantly as she sipped her drink.

Flirtatiously she murmured "I thought I had a great future ahead in bar tending…You certainly were a great teacher " She silently raised her glass to her former manager in a mock salute.

Paksa Adeul grimly noted the teasing byplay between Shin and Soo-Min and was gripped by the inexplicable urge to slam the bartender's handsome face into the nearest wall. He broodingly realised that the unsettling emotion he was experiencing was jealousy. An emotion he was becoming too familiar with lately. Soo-Min, had not yet given any indication that she was aware of his presence beside her. While Shin was occupied with the other patrons, Soo-Min covertly slid a note under the coaster of Paksa's tumbler of whisky. The note had details of a purported drug transaction that was to take place in 48 hours. The details were sketchy at best but she had managed to stitch together snippets of information gleaned from her conversation with one of the enforcer types at the club. She had done this in the time honoured fashion of alcohol and flirting. Starstruck by her talent and sexiness, his tongue had gradually loosened as she plied him with drink after drink.

She took another sip of the Cosmopolitan as her eyes wandered over Paksa's features, noting the dark circles and lines of tension around his mouth. Good, she thought, I'm not the only one having sleepless nights after our last encounter. Her fevered dreams had taken on a distinctly erotic quality since then.

Paksa turned at the sound of a discreet cough. It was the Madame. "The gentleman over at the next table insists on an introduction . He would like to meet the both of you." Paksa slowly turned to look the heavy-set but immaculately dressed man five tables away. Despite his manner of dress, nothing could conceal the dissipated air of corruption and greed that clung to him. The gentleman raised his glass to Paksa in a chilling salute.

"When I tell you to run, go to the exit and call Soo. Run. Now. I'll try to hold him off" Paksa directed to Soo Min in a low undertone as he slowly got up and walked over to the man. Paksa remained standing even as the man indicated a seat beside him. "Such a pity your lovely companion couldn't join us. I would have loved an introduction. A lily isn't she. I heard that she is exclusively yours. I wouldn't mind a taste of that….. after you are done with her of course"

Paksa remained standing, every instinct on alert. He had already mentally canvassed the room for all exits and calculated his odds in a possible confrontation. He took on the loose limbed stance of a trained fighter, ready to spring into action.

The man continued.."See the funny thing is, we screen all our patrons here and we have not been able to find anything about you. Zip. Nada. You are a ghost. Or an undercover cop."

Out of the shadows, two enforcers materialised beside him. "Check him for any wires. Oh, and bring the girl to me." The bar had magically cleared of all patrons by the time a struggling Soo Min was hauled in front of them. "Hmm..I think our pretty songbird has been quite busy feeding you information. We have been watching you for a while and it seems that you haven't quite sampled her yet. I wonder why. Are you an undercover cop and is she your contact? " this he addressed to Paksa while running a finger down Soo Min's face. She suppressed a shudder of revulsion at his touch.

"What of it? Maybe I enjoy her singing skills more than I enjoy any other talent she has" Paksa drily remarked.

"You have one chance to show us you are not lying. If you don't bed her, one of my men will be glad to do it in your stead. Don't think you can fake your way out of it either. You will be watched.."

Soo Min and Paksa stared at each other. They had been hustled into one of Vanity's most exclusive suites and expected to perform for the pleasure of their unseen audience as a way of verifying Paksa's legitimacy. "CCTV at the upper right hand corner" Paksa mouthed to her. Drawing her to him, he murmured softly in her ear."Look we have to do this okay. It's either me or one of those goons. Just follow my lead." Soo Min mutely nodded as cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The idea of sex while being watched by that corpulent gangster nauseated her. With rising panic, she wondered how she would survive the next moments. "I don't think I can do this" She whispered despairingly into his chest. "Shh..Trust me okay. It's just me and you in this room, nobody else." He softly touched her face while saying this, savouring the delicate texture of her peachy skin. Soft kisses tenderly traced her face from forehead and jawline. Soo Min gradually began to relax, leaning into his hard frame. "My back's to the camera. I'll shield you with my body so they don't have to see you" Soo Min could only nod mutely as he unbuttoned her black silk dress.

Paksa kissed her with fierce intensity as the passion between them burned flame hot. Since that night in the limo, he had woken up hard and aching every night, with her name on his lips. He plumbed the sweet cavern of her mouth as control was obliterated by a need so deep, he ached with it. Need. To. Go. Slow. He reminded himself. Her sweet, untutored responses to his ardour triggered a primeval need to put his mark on her and he sucked down gently at the sensitive juncture of her neck. Soo Min gasped at the headlong rush into pleasure as Paksa drew both her legs around his waist and carried her to the wall. Moisture pooled at her sex, making her moist and ready. Her hands crept up his neck and into his hair as he impatiently bared her to her waist. Cupping her breasts and readying the swollen mounds for the hard suction of his mouth. She bit her lips to stifle the whimpers of pleasure leaving her throat. She caught a glimpse of their sensuous image reflected in the mirror lining one wall. Her head was thrown back in passion, cheeks flushed and eyes slumberous with arousal as she was pinned to the wall by the whipcord strength of his fully clothed body. All thoughts about the camera and the watching audience left her mind. Freeing himself from the confines of his trousers, Paksa positioned himself at her slippery opening, slowly breaching her entrance. Forcing himself to go slow. Somewhere in his passion fogged brain, a warning bell sounded. No condom. Too far gone to care, he groaned at the tight, wet clasp of her body.

Soo Min felt invaded, surrounded by his heat and the wall at her back. Her body, wet though she was, resisted his hard penetration, unused to such activity. "Relax… let me in. I'll make it good for you." Paksa whispered as he roughly bit her earlobe. He stretched her gently as he carefully stroked himself in and out of her tight body. His fingers found her throbbing clitoris and rubbed, spreading her lubrication. Soo Min cried out as more moisture flooded her channel, easing his entry into her body and allowing him to be fully seated in her. Taking her mouth in deep kiss, he increased the force and speed of his thrusts as his control broke. Panting brokenly with intense pleasure, she was right there with him as they plunged over the edge into a shattering orgasm so strong that spots danced behind her closed eyes and she almost lost consciousness. Paksa withdrew himself from her clutching heat and adjusted himself.

Knees wobbling, Soo-Min took a moment to compose herself, leaning against the wall for strength. How had she lost control like that, forgetting everything, even the danger they were in. Self-contempt and disgust welled, bringing the sting of tears to her eyes. She adjusted her clothing and tried to fix her mussed hair. Paksa watched her reaction grimly. Show time was over and with any luck, all their observers would see was his back to the wall, shielding and covering her body. He did not question his visceral need to protect her.

With a peremptory knock, the corpulent figure with two of his enforcers entered the room. "Hmm, I thought you would have put on more of a show." he said confirming Paksa's belief that they had been watched. My sources have confirmed your identity. It seems that we are in the presence of of greatness. Gentlemen, may I present to you the legendary Paksa Adeul." he affected a small condescending bow. "I have instructions to let you and your lovely songbird go. We thank you for your patronage and hope you will visit again soon." he gave an ugly chuckle as he said this.

Paksa and a shaken Soo Min stood outside the club as they waited for Soo to pull up. "I think I'll walk home" she said, feeling miserable. The wet evidence of what they had just done slicked her inner thighs and she shifted slightly in discomfort. The urge to run was overwhelming. She needed to get away him now and pull herself together. A walk in the brisk Tokyo air might also clear her passion fogged head and muddled thinking. Escape. Regroup. Reset.

"No. We have to talk." he retorted, his hand around her wrist in an unbreakable grip. "Besides the streets are unsafe at this hour."

"I'm a cop remember. I know how to handle myself. Let me go." Soo Min struggled futilely to break his grip.

"Mina, is this guy harassing you?" Shin, who had left the club for a cigarette break had observed the exchange between the two and decided to intervene.

"Firstly, we have nothing to talk about. Secondly, Shin and I have a date. He will walk me home." she lied smoothly .

Paksa reluctantly released her hand and watched as she walked away with the handsome bartender. Every instinct riding him hard to go after her and finish what they had started in that room. Every encounter they had had thus far had been leading to this inevitable explosive conclusion. He was amazed that he still wanted her. Had barely taken the edge off his hunger. Sex with her had been unlike anything he had ever encountered before. Paksa had always walled part of himself off in past assignations with his lovers. He never let a woman into his head or heart and feelings like jealousy, anger and obsession were alien to him. Always he maintained ruthless control over his emotions. He was cold, an emotionless master tactician, bending people to his own will, for his own purposes. With Soo-Min, that wall had come tumbling down. Demolished. Smashed to smithereens. Not a brick left standing. The Paksa Adeul left standing in the ashes was not someone he recognised anymore.

Soo pulled up in inconspicuous sedan. Paksa got in the car ."Follow her. At a discreet distance."

Soo-Min and Shin walked a couple of blocks to her apartment. Soo-Min's features looked pale and disturbed under the street-lamps.

"Mina, what has been going on with you lately. Who was that guy? Look, if you are in any sort of trouble at all, I'm here for you okay" Under Shin's compassionate gaze, Soo-Min broke down completely, her mind in turmoil as the events of the past week caught up with her. Shin gently embraced and let her sob uncontrollably on his chest.

"I'm so confused and I don't know what I'm doing anymore." she whispered. After the storm of tears had abated, Shin gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. It was a kiss of friendship and comfort. In this cold dark world, since Gyung-Mi's death and Paksa's betrayal Soo-Min had been afraid to let anyone get too close to her. She acknowledged that she had been alone and friendless for far too long."I think i have a couple of beers in my apartment with your name on it. Would you like to come up for a bit." Soo-Min smiled at Shin.

Paksa Adeul and Soo watched as the couple walked into the apartment. "Find out everything you can about the bar manager and put a tail on him" Paksa instructed Soo. Briefly, thoughts of barging into the apartment and venting his rage on Shin's pretty boy face flashed through his mind before being dismissed. Too messy. No, he would wait for his opportunity to confront Soo Min. After all, the hallmarks of his rise to power in the shadowy underbelly of Tokyo's drug trade were patience and ruthlessness. He would bide his time. ….

Soo-Min stood under the hot spray of the shower, hoping to ease the various aches and pains she felt. The shower felt good and with along the alcohol she had consumed made her drowsy. She hoped to fall into deep slumber tonight without her usual recurring nightmare. Shin had left shortly after two in the a.m. She had opened up to him about her past, leaving the relevant names and details out. It felt good to unburden herself after all these years and Shin had been a patient and good listener.

She was just wrapping a towel around herself when these was a staccato rapping on her front door. Thinking Shin had returned, she opened the door slightly with the safety chain still fastened. Words of welcome died on her lips as she took in the furious countenance of Paksa Adeul. "It's late. We have nothing to talk about. Please leave before I'm forced to use my gun on you" she calculated the distance between the doorway and her bedside drawer where her service revolver was kept. Too far and too late. A second later, Soo-Min heard wood splintering as Paksa put his shoulder to the front door and forced himself in. Mind cloudy with disbelief, she sprinted to the bedroom and futilely tried to close that door on him. One effortless push was all it took and his tall frame was filling the doorway of her bedroom, blocking her only avenue of escape. Paksa stalked into her bedroom, grimly noting the undisturbed sheets on her modest four poster bed. She swallowed nervously as she noted the dangerous gleam in his eyes and his white knuckled grip on the bed post. It was like being caged with a predatory beast in the small confines of her bedroom. "What.. have you came in here to check up on me? Unbelievable." Soo-Min exhaled sharply in outrage "Please leave."

Paksa stalked closer, invading her personal space, trying hard to hide his rampant jealousy and failing. A haze of red filled his vision at the thought of her with Shin. In a chilling whisper, he asked "Did you let him touch you?…..Did you just let him f***you? What do you know about Shin. How can you trust him?"

Soo Min recoiled at his use of profanity and backed away from him slowly. Feeling threatened and vulnerable, she clutched the ends of her towel tightly around her body.

"Shin is a good friend who actually cares about me. Why do you care anyway" she cried. "Five years ago, I watched you die in my arms. You faked your own death and walked away without a backward glance. Do you know what that did to me? How much I grieved for you?" The words were torn from her raw throat before she could hold them back. "So you have no say whom I invite into my house or bed. You are still dead to me Jung Shi-Hyun." she retorted huskily as tears threatened to overwhelm her. "Just go" she screamed the words at him unable to endure a confrontation. Her fist curled around the nearest object on a nearby desk which happened to be the picture of her and Gyung-Mi. She wanted to scream, hurl and break everything in the room.

"I walked away to protect you. You had to believe I had died or Chairman Jo's people would have used you to get to me."

"Don't pretend you care. I was nothing more than a one night stand to you. Stupid, stupid me" Soo Min broke down completely at this point, burying her face in her hands, her body shuddering with the force of containing her sobs. Why was it that the ghosts of the past would never set her free.

Paksa Adeul stood, fists clenched. Each broken sob twisted something deep in his heart. Jealousy faded as he gazed upon her anguished face. He had done this..He had used this guileless, naive wildflower five years ago and left her lying in the dust while he had moved on. He drew her towards his chest and let her cry in his arms until her tears abated to a few hiccupping sobs. Soo-Min looked up, her gaze seeking his and her breath caught as something flared hotly in his eyes. "There is something between us. Call it what you will, sexual chemistry, or attraction. I had a taste of it but it isn't enough, I want you again. I can show you. Teach you if you will let me. " he whispered smokily as he traced kisses along her creamy shoulder. Soo-Min shuddered. He was offering her nothing more than sex and she so weak she would gladly grasp at the crumbs he offered. It was crazy how this man could make her go from emotional wreck to a boneless heap of desire in less than a minute. She faced the inevitable truth that she was still in love with Paksa Adeul.

Rain beat fiercely against the bedroom windows in Soo Min's apartment. The muted lights of her bedside lamps cast a soft glow, creating an oasis of warmth in the midst of the storm raging outside which had plunged temperatures to 5 degrees above zero. Paksa watched Soo Min as she slept peacefully after the prolonged bout of lovemaking that had taken place earlier. Lovemaking that had been incendiary and emotionally raw. He had taken his time with her this time. Kissing and exploring every pale inch of her perfect body until she had been gasping and pleading for completion. Placing her on her hands and knees, he had entered her slowly from behind, raining tender reassuring kisses down the curve of her spine. She had protested a little at the newness of it, the position heightening the sensation of tightness and fulness as he stretched her tight vagina. Keeping a tight rein on his control, he had taken her slowly but thoroughly, mindful of his earlier roughness at Vanity. She had finally come multiple times sobbing wildly in his arms. Letting his control snap, he had then taken her fiercely, pounding into her tight slippery heat until he orgasmed with a guttural oath.

Now, in the soft glow of the lamp light, her rosy cheeks, full lips and tendrils of curling hair around her forehead gave her a childlike innocence belying the horrors she had endured these past years. She shifted and the sheet fell away revealing the full contours of her upthrust breast, nipples swollen and abraded to a dusky shade of pink by the attentions of his mouth and laving of his tongue. He grew hard again and cursed his wayward erection. His body seemed to have a mind of its own around her. He cupped her breast, running the hard calloused pad of his thumb around her sensitive nipple causing her to shiver and moan softly in her sleep. He kissed his way downward from the slight swell of her belly to the juncture of her thighs. He parted her legs, lifting them onto his shoulders and settled down to lovingly kiss and savour her swollen labia and clitoris. Soo Min slowly came awake to the delicious sensation of a tongue penetrating deeply into the well of lubrication at the juncture of her thighs. She was spread wide open, pinned down and helpless as Paksa closed his lips around her clitoris and slowly sucked. Hard fingers penetrated her centre stretching her and testing her moistness and readiness. Whimpering softly she murmured. "I don't think I can, it's too soon" the last was choked out on sobbing cry as he increased the suction on her clitoris and massaged the inner walls of her vagina with the hard thrust of his fingers. She came helplessly, clenching around his fingers, muffling her cries into the pillow. Lips shiny with her juices and eyes half lidded with feverish arousal, Paksa mounted her and rode her hard and long until dawn tinged the sky outside her bedroom window shades of ochre and pink.

Soo Min made her way down the alley, trying to blend in with the shadows. She was dressed all in black, jeans, jacket and boots, her hair tucked beneath a baseball cap. Black was good for hunting quarry down dark alleyways such as this. She skirted a low wall, dropping silently beside a dumpster, trying not to retch at the nauseating stench that permeated the air. She had received a lead from her contact in the force that a big shipment of drugs would be arriving at Sector 5 warehouse in this district. Chances were pretty high that it was the tainted merchandise that killed Hye-Soo. She didn't stop to analyse how deeply Paksa was mixed up in any of this. Indeed the goal of today's mission was just to reconnoiter and get information. She did not intend to be in the warehouse when the deal went down.

She knew Paksa would be furious if he knew that she was here. Alone. A day ago she had woken up in her bed alone, having slept the entire day away. The events of the past night seemed surreal and dreamlike. Yet the various aches and pains and the slight marks on her body attested to the fact that the mind blowing, spine melting sex between them had actually occurred and was not a figment of her fevered imagination. Something had shifted between them. She sensed that he was no longer trying to push her away. The opposite in fact was true; his possessiveness both delighting and alarming her. She knew that he would slowly wrest control of very aspect of her life should she let him; in or out of the bedroom. So, she hadn't told him about what she intended to do. Which, she now acknowledged, might have been a very foolish move.

She came to the eastern wall of the warehouse, crouching low and scanning the area for cctv. How to gain access, she wondered. She spotted a metal ladder that led up to the second floor window. Praying that it would bear her weight quietly, she climbed, her heart in her mouth. She reached the window and slowly tried to jimmy it open, grateful for years of delinquency that had given her plenty of expertise in this area. Window open, she crept in onto a tiny platform hugging the periphery of the warehouse. It gave her an excellent vantage on the going ons below. She took her smartphone from her pocket and set the video camera in night vision mode. Two trucks had pulled into the warehouse and 3 sleek black BMW's had pulled in right after it disgorging it's occupants. She tried to identify the sharply dressed gentlemen that piled out but did not recognise any of the faces. One guy in particular seemed to be giving the orders. He had the look of a squat, wizened monkey about him. Two briefcases were placed on the table set up for the exchange. They were promptly opened and checked over. The drugs were in the form of nondescript white pills and the money stacked in large bills.

Soo Min simultaneously taped the exchange and streamed the live footage to Paksa's phone. Swallowing a ball of disquiet, she wondered at the lack of security around the warehouse. Something was off. Trap, her instincts screamed. Get. Out. Silently as she could, she crept out the window and down the ladder, breathlessly waiting for the sounds of shouts and running feet that would signal her discovery. Dropping noiselessly to the ground, she sprinted down the alleyway, all pretence of finesse gone. Something was terribly wrong she could sense it.

She had barely cleared 20 meters when an explosion rocked the foundations of the warehouse and a fireball obliterated the entire structure. The shock of the blast lifted her off her feet and slammed her into a nearby wall, shards of glass and debris raining down all around her, acrid smoke thick in her lungs. She tried moving experimentally, almost screaming at the pain that tore through her shoulder. Something wet and sticky obscured her vision. If she wanted to survive she had to move. Now. Crying in agony she dragged herself as far away from the burning wreckage as she could. 100 meters. "You can make it " she chanted to herself. 200 meters. The agony of her torn and battered shoulder was unbearable. She staggered a few more yards before the pain made her lose consciousness and collapse into a mound of garbage bags at the intersection of two small alleys.

Kim Hyun Soo looked up grimly from the screen of his laptop. They were in the inconspicuous sedan at the site of the intended drug transaction. "You may want to take a look at this." he told Paksa Adeul. It was an encrypted voice message of a bomb threat at the same area of the purported drug transaction that was about to take place at precisely 10.15 pm. Too much of coincidence, Paksa thought. Checking their guns quickly and efficiently, they got out of the vehicle, scanning the deserted lane for any signs of police or company. The muted ping of his phone alerted Paksa that a message was incoming. He looked cursorily at it and the breath froze in his lungs. Live streaming of footage of the warehouse from Soo-Min's phone. Which meant only one thing. She was here right within the radius of any potential bomb blast. "Soo-Min is here" Paksa gritted, barely able to get the words out of his suddenly parched throat. Kim Hyun Soo looked at his boss in dawning horror and mute comprehension.

The cold icy hand of fear drove all thoughts from Paksa's head as he broke into a dead run. He tracked her phone signal from his own sophisticated device, the red dot indicating Soo-Min's phone on the screen, only few blocks from where they were. They had just turned the corner, the warehouse straight ahead of them when the explosion shattered the silence and the building was enveloped in a brilliant orange fireball. Abruptly, Soo-Min's phone stopped transmitting it's location. Unable to absorb it's chilling implications, Paksa was dimly aware of Soo holding him back from the roaring flames as he tried to fight his way into the burning building. He distantly heard an anguished roar above the crackling of the flames as he sank to his knees. In the dark recesses of his mind he realised that the raw sounds were coming from his own scalding throat. "She is gone, Paksa" a pale and shocked Soo informed him unnecessarily. In all his years, Kim Hyun Soo had never seen his implacable boss so visibly anguished. "No. She is still here…..Not ….not until I see her body for myself, Soo." Sirens wailed in the distance indicating the place would soon be swarming with cops and paramedics.

"We have to go now. Soo hauled a resisting Paksa to his feet. "No. Not till I confirm….." the rest of the sentence trailing away as his keen eyes scanned for movement in the shadows. He drew his finger to his lips in the universal gesture to be silent. "Did you hear that?" he asked Soo. Paksa's keen ears had picked up on a weak moan coming somewhere from the intersection of the alley. Desperation warred with hope as he ran to the direction of the sound. Using his phone as a flashlight to scan the area, he noticed a slight movement from a pile of garbage bags in the corner. With a hoarse shout, he ran to Soo-Min's crumpled form. Hands shaking with relief, he felt for her pulse. Weak and thready. Still alive. He gently cradled her unresponsive form in his arms as he took in the extent and severity of her injuries. Gently pushing hair sticky with blood away from her face, he carried her to his vehicle, a grim and silent Soo beside him.

When Yoo Soo Min slowly regained consciousness, she was in a hospital bed with an IV line in her arm. The right side of her head was bandaged and when she tried to move, agonising pain shot through her left shoulder. A strangled cry left her lips, alerting the man fitfully dozing on the armchair next to her bed. He rose, holding a straw to her parched mouth let her sip her fill of the bottled water. Soo Min's eyes drowsily took in Paksa's every feature. He looked unlike his usual self. His suit was rumpled, blood stained and his tie undone. His hair looked mussed as though he had been running his fingers through it numerous times and his eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot. There was a grey pallor about his face and lines of tension around his mouth. Voice gritty with disuse he informed her "Don't try to move. Part of a steel girder pierced you through the shoulder during the explosion and you've just had surgery to remove it. You have three fractured ribs and a punctured lung and concussion as well. You've lost a lot of blood. Try to sleep now"

"I'm sorry. Please don't be angry. I should have told you I'd be there" she murmured. Paksa didn't comment. A nurse came in and blessed relief stole through Soo Min as she was injected with a dose of painkiller.

4 months later.

Soo Min stood on the deck of the ferry to Jeju, snuggling deeper into her down lined flak jacket. It was starting to get bitingly cold despite the brightness of the day and the promise of winter already in the air. It had been 4 months since Tokyo, since the long arduous road to recovery. She still had not recovered full mobility in her left arm and shoulder, which had started to throb dully in the low temperatures. Soo Min stared sightlessly out at the waves breaking against the side of the ferry. Four months since that fateful day in the hospital, her last glimpse of Paksa Adeul. She craved the sight of him like a drug but he never came to her bedside after the day she regained consciousness. She had checked her phone every hour for messages from him but it had remained forlornly silent. Kim Hyun Soo had stopped to see her briefly during her third month at the hospital. He had quietly slipped tickets back to Korea and some money into her purse while she had been sedated. When she had discovered the gift, pain lacerated her heart. Paksa Adeul couldn't have made it more clear how unwanted she was in his life. Again. Shin had come to visit bearing bouquets of flowers and candy and she clung to his support like a drowning man clinging to a life raft. He had been pivotal in her recovery. Often cheering her on during rehabilitation and physiotherapy. His kindness had been welcome but her heart had longed for another. Her Gangpei Ajhusshi.

After her close call and shoulder injury, the Commissioner of Police had lobbied from her early release from the force. So here she was travelling to Jeju, technically unemployed, and at the urgings of well meaning colleagues, to get some much needed rest and recuperation. It was the last thing she needed. Too much time to remember, too much time to think. About him. During the day she could empty her mind of all thoughts of him by working till exhaustion but the nights were the hardest. She would remember. Hands caressing her in the dark, breathless kisses and explosive passion. Her subconscious had faithfully recorded every detail of every moment spent together. Most nights she would awaken in tears with his name on his lips.

A wave of nausea washed over her and she almost lost her breakfast over the side of the ferry. Gripping the handrails tightly, she waited for the wave of dizziness to pass. She had been feeling rather ill of late, something which she attributed to a virus picked up during her convalescence at the hospital.

Soo-Min snapped out of her reverie with a start. The ferry had docked and passengers had begun disembarking. She collected her baggage and walked to the pier to catch a taxi to her intended destination. 'Sunshine pension' was located some 40 miles to the west of the island. The place had been recommended to her by Shin. It was perched high atop a plateau ringed on one side by volcanic cliffs of Jeju, overlooking the sea. It was a beautiful albeit isolated property; the rental of which suited her meagre budget. The owner needed someone to run the front desk and Soo-Min had applied for the position, glad to be able to earn a little extra to supplement her diminishing bank account. The taxi stopped at the pension and she got out with her wheeled trolley case. The scenery on the way up to the pension had been nothing short of breathtaking, the sky had turned slightly overcast and the seas were a dark stormy grey, a perfect reflection of her current mental condition she thought wryly.

After Soo-Min had been briefed about her duties, Mrs Lee, her employer, an elderly lady with kind eyes had shown her to her room, decorated in lovely cream and pink tones. A room more suited to a teenager than a grown woman . "This is my daughter's room. She is away at college at the moment and i hope you find it comfortable" Mrs Lee remarked taking an instant liking to Soo-Min. Something in Soo-Min's pale countenance and haunted eyes gave a fragile almost tragic air, triggering her latent mother hen instincts. 'I have a hot meal waiting for you downstairs if you would care to join me.'

Soo-Min tucked into the home cooked meal gratefully, every morsel delicious. After months of hospital fare, her appetite seemed to have improved dramatically. Maybe the lovely unspoilt charm of this place was already working it's magic on her battered soul.

Days turned into weeks as Soo-Min fell into routine of sorts at the pension. Her days were filled with the relatively light work of checking guests in and answering inquires and upgrading the relatively antiquated reservation system. At 4pm, Mrs Lee would relieve her of her duties and Soo-Min would be free to take a walk or ride one of the pension's Vespa to a secluded cove nearby. Her appetite had increased and she was starting to put on a little weight, bringing a rosy bloom to her cheeks and filling out her too thin frame..

Soo-Min sat frozen to the toilet seat. She had been staring at the little blue line that confirmed her pregnancy for the last half hour. Feelings of joy, despair, panic washed over her. Joy and hope won. She was carrying Paksa's son or daughter. She wanted to laugh and shout it to the rafters. The thought of terminating the pregnancy did not even occur to her. She realised that she wanted his baby more than her next breath. It was during the second week at the pension, when Soo-Min did not get her menses when they were due, that prompted her to get the pregnancy test. She had always been irregular with her periods and when she did not get them these past 4 months she had been unconcerned, putting it down the lapse to the injuries her body had sustained in the explosion. She would have to let Mrs Lee know. Once the baby was due she would have to stop working.

Soo-Min approached Mrs Lee with trepidation. She had come to care for the elderly lady and was loath to lose her support and kindness. 'I have something to tell you Mrs Lee. I hope you will understand.' Mrs Lee, looked up from the stack of papers on her desk to eye Soo-Min curiously.

'What is it my dear?' then a little more gently. 'You can tell me'

'I'm pregnant, four months along I think. I did a home pregnancy test and it came out positive. The father…' Soo-Mins voice trailed away. "The father doesn't know and I'd like to keep it that way. Look, if you don't want to keep me on once the baby is born, I'll understand." She had barely choked the words out when she was embraced by Mrs Lee in a warm hug.

"My dear, that is wonderful news. Of course you will stay on here. A baby! How wonderful! This is the best news I've had in ages. Now, you should not worry about anything. I'll make all the arrangements for you and am not taking no for an answer."

Mrs Lee fussed over her and made arrangements for Soo Min to see a obstretician in Jeju city. The following morning , they drove into town to see Dr Park Jun Min for a consultation.

Dr. Park noted Soo-Min's medical history with interest. The young lady had certainly been through much trauma and it was a miracle that the twins she had conceived had survived. Soo-Min had been numb with shock when Dr. Park had dropped the bombshell that she was carrying two babies. Both were healthy and doing well she was told. Twins. The reality of it hadn't hit until she had seen the two beans sized blobs on the ultrasound and heard their heartbeat. She had become increasingly distressed as she had recounted the surgical procedures that had followed during her hospital stint, and the medication she had ingested; hoping that it would not have any impact on the babies. Dr. Park had recommended a series of diagnostic tests to put her mind at ease. He had been fairly certain that the babies were developing normally for that stage of pregnancy.

When Soo Min shared the news with Mrs Lee, the old lady had been delirious with joy. A godly lady, she regarded all life as a special blessing from above and considered Soo-Min especially blessed. Soo-Min however was overtaken with worry about her future, foremost in her mind was how she was going to make ends meet with two children on the way. The thought of asking Jin Sook unnie for financial aid did cross her mind. Jin Sook's link to Paksa now was tenuous at best and her unnie had almost unlimited funds stashed away in various Swiss bank accounts. Although her mind rebelled at the very idea, Soo-Min knew she had to swallow her pride and ask for help.

Lee Jin Sook sashayed into the reception of Sunshine pension in her customary manner. Soo-Min had informed her of her current troubles and Jin-Sook had taken the next plane to Jeju without a seconds hesitation. Jin Sook's affection for Soo-Min had not been diminished by the passage of time. They certainly had been through a lot together and the past had forged a strong bond between them.

"Unnie" Soo-Min cried running up to Jin-Sook and enveloping her in a bear hug. "I'm so glad to see you." she said and promptly burst into tears…

Jin Sook nursed the whisky sour as she gently probed Soo-Min about the details of the last 4 months. The story that had emerged had filled her with horror but she kept her face impassive as she patiently waited for Soo-Min to finish. Reading between the lines, Jin-Sook was filled with the slow rage at the man who had made her friend pregnant and abandoned her. Soo-Min would not, despite much probing, reveal his identity. A one point, Jin-Sook had interrupted Soo-Min with the not so subtle query . "Have you told him yet and do you want me to arrange for his legs to be broken?' Soo-Min's eyes had clouded briefly at the question before it replaced with a bitter-sweet smile. "I don't want him to know. He wants nothing to do with me and it's for the best."

Lee Jin Sook sighed as she assessed the situation and Soo-Min's limited options. She was delighted by the fact that she would have two god children to love and spoil but she was also worried for Soo-Min and her seemingly fragile emotional and physical state. Money was no object and it was no hardship for Lee Jin Sook to open her pocketbook and write a cheque for a sum which made Soo-Min's eyes pop. 'I can't accept this. It's too much." Soo-Min retorted, returning the cheque. "I just need a fraction of that to tide me over until I get on my feet again. A loan of course…"

"Yoo Soo-Min, babies are expensive. Please don't refuse this out of pride." Soo-Min fought back the tears which welled in her eyes, touched by Jin Sook's generosity.

Lee Jin Sook was relaxing into the luxurious interior of the limo bearing her from Incheon airport to her penthouse, when her cellphone rang. Her eyebrows rose as she noted the caller. It was rare of Paksa to call these days, so she surmised that the matter must be urgent. "Where have you been Jin-sook?" Paksa asked without preamble. " In Jeju, visiting an old friend." she remarked coyly. "In fact, you may know her from five years ago. Do you remember my little sister, Yoo Soo-Min?" There was an unnerving silence as Paksa did not reply.

"She needed a favour, so I went to see her." Lee Jin Sook then went on to chat casually to Paksa about inconsequential matters like the weather and sights of Jeju, blissfully unaware of the tension crackling down the line.

"What's wrong with Soo Min? Is she in trouble?" Paksa forced the words out roughly, struggling not to let his voice betray his tension…

"Oh…some jerk knocked her up and left her." Jin Sook went blithely on, "Poor girl has been through so much too. Do you remember that explosion four months ago in Tokyo. Nasty business..She was injured in that explosion too.."

There was a dead silence on the other end. "Paksa? Are you there?"

"Did you say Yoo Soo Min is pregnant?" Paksa asked striving for calm. He wanted to shout the words.

"Yes that's right. If I ever get my hands on that bastard…." Jin Sook let her words trail off.

"Paksa, Paksa…are you there." Jin Sook asked as the line went dead…

Yoo Soo Min parked at her usual spot and got off her Vespa a little clumsily. The slight swell of her belly and rounder breasts the only evidence of her advancing pregnancy. She pressed her hand to her belly and felt the babies fluttering… like butterfly wings, she fancifully thought. This was her favourite place, a secluded cove with plenty of large shady trees overlooking the rocky coastline of Jeju. It was her own private paradise, with no one to intrude on her solitude since she had never encountered a soul here before. Fatigued, she would sometimes nap under one of the trees as pregnancy imposed its own demands on her body. It was her day off today. Mrs Lee's daughter had come to Jeju for the holidays and had agreed to relieve Soo-Min for the day. It was an unseasonably warm day for Jeju and she was braless under her loose white top and denim shorts, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her limbs as she settled onto her picnic blanket. She had brought along her book, some sandwiches and juice to drink should she get thirsty. She laid out her picnic blanket under her favourite tree, settled down and closed her eyes. A light cooling breeze caressed her skin and she pushed her hair out of her eyes. She nodded off into a light doze.

That was how Paksa found her. Napping under a tree like a woodland sprite. Cheeks rosy from sleep, inky tendrils of hair framing her delicate heart shaped face. She had filled out and lost that gaunt, haunted look about her. She looked lush, fecund, blooming like a rose with his baby. His eyes went to her abdomen, noting its rounder contours and travelled up to her surprisingly full breasts. Throat tight with emotion, he looked his fill like a starving man at a banquet. He had missed her. His world without her had been a dull, bleak, grey and there had been a constant gnawing ache somewhere in the region of his chest. Even Kim Hyun Soo had noticed that Paksa was unlike his usual self. Almost losing her that night in Tokyo had destroyed him, especially since every instinct had screamed for him to protect her. So he had sought solace at the bottom of a bottle most nights to stop himself from going to her. Had decided to walk away from her again for her own safety. It was the hardest thing he had ever done.

Jin Sook's call had floored him. When Jin Sook mentioned the pregnancy, he knew without a shadow of doubt that the child was his. He had all but lunged at the excuse to go to her and bind her to him. He would never abandon his child, the way his father had walked out on him.

Soo-Min frowned at the sensation of warmth on the exposed stomach. She slowly came awake to the sight of Paksa slowly unbuttoning her blouse from the bottom to the top. She gasped as her eyes drowsily locked on to Paksa Adeul. "Wha….what are you doing." she stammered, snatching the edges of her blouse together and scrambling back away from him.

"I know about the baby Yoo Soo Min. Don't deny it's mine."She caught his wrists before he could undo more buttons. "Stop. You have no right."

"I want to see you… I want to see my child." he said as he inexorably backed her against the trunk of the large shade tree she had been lying under. No where to run, she sat quivering as he slowly parted her blouse and touched the slight swell of her stomach. The babies fluttered against the warmth of his palm. His eyes glittered with some unnamed emotion as he felt the movement beneath his palm.

"How do you know….." her voice trailed away.

"It doesn't matter how I know. What I know is that you will marry me today. I'm not walking away from any kid of mine like my father did." he said -Min's eyes closed in pain. So he was here for the babies and not for her. Swallowing tears she said "No. I don't need your help. I'm perfectly capable of bringing up these bab…. this baby on my own."

His hands clenched as he fought the urge to shake the stubbornness out of her. All his instincts were riding him hard to take her under this big shade tree while she was still flushed and drowsy with sleep. To impose his will upon her and stake his claim in every way possible. He was hard as steel at the prospect.

She gasped as his hands travelled from her stomach to palm the rounded creamy swells of her breasts. Her sensitive nipples, hard and aching, poked eagerly against his palms. "You are so beautiful like this." he said hoarsely, before muffling her protest with a fierce kiss. He plumbed the depths of her mouth with his tongue probing every moist crevice. The passion flared between them hot and inevitable.

"No. Please, someone may see." she said, futilely trying to fight him off. His strength was too much for her and after a panting struggle, her protest was lost on a low keening cry as he drew her nipple into his mouth in a hard suckle. He unzipped her shorts and peeled them and her modest white panties down her legs. Unable to wait, his fingers found her moist opening, testing her readiness. Finding her wet with lubrication and he shackled her arms above her head as he freed himself from his trousers. "I'm sorry. I can't wait." he said as he gently parted her labia with the crown of his penis. Slowly breaching her an inch at a time, careful of her delicate condition despite his raging lust. He kept the pace as gentle as he could. Ultra sensitive, the friction of his body against her clitoris soon caused her to climax fiercely around him with a soft cry. It was only then that he allowed himself to come inside her clenching body.

Soo-Min pushed Paksa away. In a daze, she buttoned her blouse with trembling fingers. Spying her shorts on a nearby bush, she awkwardly grabbed then stepped into them. She could not believe what she let happen, cursing her wayward body. Why did she always melt like putty where he was concerned. Had she so little self-esteem that she was prepared to be used that way to satisfy his passing itch. Shame coursed through her and tears always not far away in her current hormonal state, stung her eyes and washed down her cheeks. She cried silently as she collected her picnic blanket and supplies and packed everything into her backpack.

Paksa watched broodingly. As usual he had made a mess of things with her. He had practically raped a pregnant woman for crying out loud. A woman pregnant with his child.

"Soo-Min wait. Let me explain. Please…" he bit out awkwardly. Taking her shoulders in his hands, he slowly turned her around to face him.

"I thought that i could walk away from you because I didn't want to drag you into the darkness with me. That night in Tokyo…the night of the bomb blast, I couldn't reach you on time and I thought you had died. I almost went insane. I don't want to go through that again. If I kept you by my side I would have no foolproof way of protecting you, so even though it nearly killed me, I let you go. Hoping you would forget me and start over again"…..The words came out stiltedly as Paksa struggled to express himself.

"I've left the business for good. Consolidated everything and handed it over to Soo. Nothing matters to me except my family now…you and the baby. Please Soo-Min, give us a chance." he said as he drew her gently drew her into his arms.

Soo-Min sobbed against his shoulder, overwhelmed by Paksa's halting confession. Emotionally spent, she finally looked at him through tear wet lashes. "Shi-Hyun, I want you to be with me because you love me. No because of duty and obligation. If the baby is what's keeping you with me, then I give you permission to leave." She let him see the honest, naked emotions in her eyes. Love and hope.

"I love you. It's always been you since the first time I met you five years ago. I've never been able to forget..Yoo Soo Min. Lets get married today. Don't make me wait ….." Soo Min smiled at Shi-Hyun dreamily. She would tell him about her little secret later during her next appointment with Dr Park.

THE END


End file.
